Railway traffic controlling apparatus



Feb. 16, 1937. R. ALLISON 2,071,056

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 2 E f2 111; AITORNEY Feb. 16, 1937f I L. R. ALLISON 5 I RAILWAY TR AFFIC GONTROLL ING APPARATUS File'd Dec. 10, 1935 ZSheets-Sheet 2 zzm 111a ATTO'RNEY Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Leslie R. Allison, Forest Hills, Pa., assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 10, 1935, Serial No. 53,744

4 Claims.

My invention relates to railway traffic controlling apparatus, and particularly to apparatus of the type comprising vehicle-carried governing means controlled by energy received from the trackway. More particularly, myinvention relates to the vehicle-carried receiver through the medium of which energy is transferred from the trackway to the governing means on the vehicle.

One object of my invention is to provide a new 1 and improved receiver for use on light weight high speed trains, which receiver shall have minimum size and minimum weight, and which at the same time will be interchangeable with receivers which are now in use on the well-known types of steam and other trains.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a portion of an auof receiver embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a irontview of the receiver shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View of the inductor RI forming part of the receiver R shown in the preceding views. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on the lines IVIV and V-V, respectively of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference characters I and 2 designate the track rails of a stretch of railway track, and the reference character a designates the front axle of a vehicle such, for example, as a locomotive, which vehicle normally moves in the direction indicated by the arrow over the track rails I and 2.

The rails I and 2 are supplied with alternating train controlling current from some suitable source, such as an alternator A, which alternator, as here shown, is connected with the rails through a circuit controller S. This circuit controller may be operated by any suitable means, and when closed allows current to flow through the rails l and 2 from alternator A. It should be noted that this current flows down one rail through axle a and back through the other rail. The currents in the two rails I and 2 therefore flow in opposite directions at any given instant.

Mounted on the vehicle of which the axle it forms a part is a receiver R embodying my present invention. This receiver in the form here shown comprises two separate inductors one of which R is located in inductive relation to the rail l ahead of the axle a, and the other of which tomatic train control system including one form R is located in inductive relation to the rail 2 ahead of the axle a. The inductors R and R are similar in construction and a description of one will therefore sufiice for both.

Referring particularly to the inductor R shown in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, this inductor in the form here shown, comprises a horizontally disposed core 3 surrounded by a winding 4 enclosed in a housing 5. I It is desirable that this inductor should be as small and as light in weight as it is possible to make it, and still have the necessary high electrical efficiency required of an inductor of this type, and to this end the core 3 is made square in cross section and is constructed of high permeability low loss transformer steel.

The coil 4 is wound with a square opening (see Fig. 4) which is just a little larger in cross section than the core, and the coil is waterproofed by impregnating it, and enclosing it in a vulcanized rubber covering. One reason for winding the coil with a square opening and for making the core square in cross section, is that it is im-. practicable from a construction and installation standpoint to make the core round, and when the core is made some other shape, the length of the mean turn will be shorter than would otherwise be the case if the core and the opening in the coil for the reception of the core are both made square inv the manner described, thus making it possible to obtain the desired electrical characteristics with a coil of minimum size and weight.

The coil 4 is insulated from the core 3 b means which also serves as a part of the means for securing the coil to the core in a fixed position. As here shown, these insulating means comprise four angle pieces 6, two plates 1, and four wedges 8, all constructed. of suitable insulating material, such for example as fiber. The angle pieces 6 are similar, and each is provided with two legs having a length which is equal to approximately one-half the width of one side of the core 3. The angle pieces are somewhat longer than the coil 4 and, as best seen in Fig. 4, are interposed between the coil and the core in such manner that these angle pieces completely encircle the core. The two insulating plates 1 are of the same length as the angle pieces 6, and one of the plates 1 is interposed between each of two opposite sides of the core 3 and the adjacent legs of the angle pieces 6. The wedges 8 are each approximately one-half as long as the angle pieces 6 and insulating plates 1, and two of these Wedges are interposed end to end between each of the two remaining opposite sides of the core 3 and the adjacent legs of the angle pieces 6 (see Fig. 3). The parts are so proportioned that it is necessary to drive the wedges into place, and that before the wedges are driven into place,.the other parts can be readily slipped into place. The parts are further so proportioned that when the wedges have been driven into place, the angle pieces 6 will be forced into tight engagement with the coil, and the insulating plates and wedges will be forced into tight engagement with the associated sides of the core, thus securely fastening the coil to the core in such manner that relative movement of the core and coil is prevented.

The casing 5 which encloses the coil 4 comprises two side pieces 9 and top and bottom cover members In. The side pieces 9 are of non-magnetic material such as brass, and are bolted to the opposite sides of the core 3 by means of two bolts l I which pass through aligned openings formed in the core and in tail-like extensions 9 which are provided on the ends of the side pieces. The one side piece is provided with a screw-threaded opening 9 and screwed into this opening is a hose coupling I8 through which the coil leads are brought out of the housing. The hose coupling is adapted to receive one end of a flexible hose l3 which leads to a junction box I! in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

The top and bottom cover members ID are constructed of a high strength non-magnetic non-metallic light weight material such for example as a phenol condensation product reenforced with canvas, and are bolted to the side members by means of four bolts l2 which are located at the corners of the cover members and which extend through apertured lugs 9 provided on the side pieces 9 as shown in Fig. 3. Formed on each cover member adjacent each end of the cover member is an integral shoulder H] (see Fig. 5) which, when the bolts l2 are tightened, engage the adjacent ends of the insulating angle pieces 6 in such manner that these angle pieces are firmly clamped between the cover members and the core, and interposed between each cover member and the side pieces 9 is a gasket IQ of some suitable elastic material such as rubber having sufiicient thickness to compensate for variations in spacing between the cover members and the side pieces caused by engagement of the shoulders 10* with the angle pieces. A cushioning material I4, which may, for example, be an asphalt compound, is disposed between the coil 4 and the upper cover member l and serves to prevent relative movement of the cover and the coil due to vibration and the like. This compound is poured into place in a molten state before the bottom cover member is fastened in place, the inductor being turned upside down during this operation. An opening I 0 is provided in both the top and bottom cover members, the opening in the top cover member being closed by a suitable plug I before the asphalt compound I4 is poured into place. The function of the opening lfl in the bottom cover member is to permit moisture which may form inside of the housing 5 due to condensation to run out, and the opening is provided in the top cover member so that the two cover members may be made alike.

In utilizing a receiver of the type described, the inductors are mounted transversely of the track rails preferably with the coils disposed directly above the rails, and the coils are connected in series (see Fig. 1) in what is usually riiferred to as a pickup circuit, in such manner that the electromotive forces induced therein by the currents flowing in the rails are additive. The pickup circuit is usually connected in series with a condenser l6, and the whole circuit will usually be tuned to resonance at the. frequency of the current supplied by the alternator A.

The current from the pickup circuit may be supplied to any suitable form of train-carried governing apparatus, and as here shown is supplied to a train-carried relay B through a suitable amplifier and filter C. The amplifier and filter C is a well-known piece of apparatus, and since it forms no part of my invention it is deemed unnecessary to describe it in detail.

It is well-known that receivers of the type described are subject to interference from three different sources, namely, from shuttle currents which flow in the forward axle of the vehicle due to varying causes, from propulsion currents flowing in a third rail which extends parallel to the trafiic rails, and from stray currents which flow in guard rails which extend parallel to the traflic rails between the trafiic rails. A receiver embodying my invention has a maximum immunity to interference from shuttle currents and from propulsion currents flowing in a third rail because the core of each inductor is a straight horizontally disposed core of minimum size. A receiver embodying my invention also has maximum immunity to interference due to stray currents flowing in guard rails because of the fact that the two inductors have independent cores which are spaced relatively far apart.

It should be particularly pointed out that the efiiciency per unit of size and weight of a receiver embodying my invention is higher than it has heretofore been possible to obtain. This increase in efiiciency has been accomplished by reducing the power factor (1) by the use of laminated steel of higher permeability and lower loss in the inductors, (2) by constructing the inductor coils with as short a mean turn as is feasible, thus permitting the number of turns to be increased without increasing the resistance of the coils, and at the same time reducing the copper losses, (3) by employing non-metallic cover members for the coil housings, which cover members materially reduce the eddy current losses and (4) by making the receiver sufficiently small so that the pickup coils can be mounted directly over the rails without danger of mechanical interferences from the car wheels, thereby providing maximum magnetic coupling between the rails and the associated inductors of the receiver.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A train-carried receiver comprising a magnetizable core of high permeability low loss steel having a square cross section, said core being disposed in inductive relation to a track rail, a coil disposed on said core directly above the track rail, said coil having a square opening which is slightly larger in cross section than said core, insulating means disposed between said coil and said core and serving to secure said coil to said core in a fixed position, and a housing secured to said core and enclosing said coil, said housing comprising two non-magnetic metal side members bolted to opposite sides of said core, and top and bottom members of a non-magnetic non-metallic material bolted to said side members.

2. A train-carried receiver comprising a horizontally disposed straight magnetizable core in inductive relation with a track rail, said core being substantially square in cross section and having its axis extending at right angles to the axis of the rail, a coil disposed on said core, said coil having a square opening which is slightly larger in cross sectional area than the cross sectional area of said core, four angle pieces of insulating material disposed between said core and said coil, said angle pieces being slightly longer than said coil, two insulating plates disposed between two opposite sides of said core and said angle pieces, wedging members of insulating material disposed between the remaining two opposite sides of said core and said angle pieces, said wedglng members being sufficiently thick to cause all of said parts to be securely clamped together, and a housing enclosing said coil, said housing comprising two-magnetic metal side members bolted to said core, and insulating top and bottom members bolted to said side members.

3. A train-carried receiver comprising a horizontally disposed straight magnetizable core in inductive relation with a track rail, said core being substantially square in cross section and having its axis extending at rightangles to the axis of the rail, a coil disposed on said core, said coil having a square opening which is slightly larger in cross sectional area than the cross sectional area of said core, four angle pieces of insulating material disposed between said core and said coil, said angle pieces being slightly longer than said coil, two insulating plates disposed between two opposite sides of said core and said angle pieces, wedging members of insulating material disposed between the remaining two opposite sides of said core and said angle pieces,

, said wedging members being sufliciently thick to cause all of said parts to be securely clamped together, and a housing enclosing said coil, said housing comprising two non-magnetic metal side members bolted to said core, and insulating top and bottom members bolted to said side members and engaging the ends of said angle pieces to assist in securing said coil to said core.

4. A train-carried receiver comprising a horizontally disposed straight magnetizable core in inductive relation with a track rail, said core being substantially square in cross section and having its axis extending at right angles to the axis of the rail, a coil disposed on said core, said coil having a square opening which is slightly larger in cross sectional area than the area of said core, four angle pieces of insulating material disposed between said core and said coil, said angle pieces being slightly longer than said coil. two insulating plates disposed between two opposite sides of said core and said. angle pieces, wedging members of insulating material disposed between the remaining two opposite sides of said core and said angle pieces, said wedging pieces being sufficiently thick to cause all of said parts to be securely clamped together, a housing enclosing said coil, said housing comprising two non-magnetic metal side members bolted to said core, insulating top and bottom members bolted to said side members and provided with shoulders which engage the ends of said angle pieces to assist in securing said coil to said core, and yieldable gaskets disposed between said top and bottom members and provided with suificient thickness to compensate for variations inthe positions of the top and bottom members caused by engagement with the angle pieces.

LESLIE R. ALLISON. 

